An Ending For a Beggining
by MSirius
Summary: What would happen if, in the end, JoonPyo and JaeKyung actually got married? How would all the characters deal with it? Now JanDi have to reorganize her feelings and learn how to move on, and JiHoo have to figure out his next steps. Will JoonPyo ever be able to accept JaeKyung presence in his life? YiJeong and GaEul try to help their friends, while dealing with their own feelings.


Discalimer: Boys Before Flowers and none of the characters belong to me. This is for fun only. Please enjoy ;)

* * *

He took in a deep, nervous breath. Exhaled quietly, almost gently.

It was no use; still he felt like the air was insufficient. It wasn't enough to calm down his heart, drumming out of pace. It felt as though he had run a marathon. What was going on?

And yet, he was seated in the very same position he lodged himself in an hour ago. Hoping to calm himself down, Goo JunPyo reached for the glass of vodka on the table in front of him, filled with ice. He felt messed up, the whole world felt strange and confusing to his eyes. Was this what they call 'the cold feet'?

Truth to be told, he never _asked_ for the marriage. _And you also never said no,_ reminded a voice inside his head, cruel as it always was. _You never did anything at all to stop it, now here we are_.

Powerless against his own thoughts, the black haired man passed one hand through his hair, making the curls even more messy than usual. He wasn't worried about looks, not right now. He felt as though very little – close to nothing – was under his control and, because he wasn't going to allow himself to feel hurt by that knowledge, he only felt mad.

JunPyo _wanted_ it to be anger that made his body misbehave like that. Any other answer was unacceptable. With that in mind, he tried to raise the glass, with all the intentions of emptying it, but his shaking hands made it impossible. Damn it, he couldn't even drink to his satisfaction.

The heir looked around. His room was big, with an occidental decoration to it; he could never doubt the good taste of the designers. It was elegant, classy, and safe on the classic inspiration. He could see gold on the wallpapers and on the furniture details. Otherwise, the rest of the colors were dark-red wood and pastel. Right now, the only light came through the open window, filling the room with the red and orange colors of the sunset. Filling his mind with red, making his thoughts disoriented and dizzy.

Searching for a bit of control, JunPyo clenched his teeth, closed one hand into a fist, wanting some strength to replace the weakness he felt quickly possessing his muscles. He tried to drink yet again, but to no avail.

There was a clock in the wall. The sound of the seconds passing by dominated his head, making him deaf to the world. He closed his eyes, feeling sick.

_Tick-tock_

_Tick-tock_

The clock kept going, passing the time, unstoppable and cruel as only time can be. The ticking the seconds and minutes ate away his freedom and sanity. There was something sickly frustrating about being unable to control time. He always convinced himself he could always manage it better for his future, but right now, there was nothing he could do to control anything. The time pushed him closer to a future he did not want, and it suffocated him enough to increase his already labored breathing, make his heart a crazy drum, faster and faster. His skin was burning and his mouth was dry.

He wanted it to stop, feeling the scream stuck in a knot in the back of his throat.

Memories crossed his mind in full speed, and he closed his eyes to drown in the nostalgic feeling.

**[Flashback begins]**

He was in the blizzard, desperately looking for JanDi. _"Geum JanDi! Geum JanDi, where are you?!"_

They were together, trying to fight the cold. And he kissed her. _"How should I repay you?"_

"_Lunchbox."_

"_What?"_

"_That thing you eat everyday for lunch. Honestly, I've wanted to taste it the moment I saw it."_

"_I'll make it for you. We can make lunchboxes and go on picnics. Just the two of us."_

Seeing the anklet he had given her in JiHoo's wrist.

"_Is that yours?"_

"_It's JanDi's. She must have dropped it last night. Return it to her."_

JunPyo was on the ground, beaten down by a group while attempting to save her, and then she was in top of him, receiving a chair attack at her shoulder and back.

"_Say that you'll give up on JanDi."_

"_I can't do that."_

"_Do you want to die?"_

"_I don't want to die. But if you're going to kill me, there's nothing I can do."_

Her tears flowed after he told her she was nothing but a stain in his life.

"_I understand. You acted like you didn't see me, nor did you want to. And that is real. To you, I'm–_

"_A stain I want to erase."_

JiHoo punching him to the airport ground.

"_Because you were my friend, I backed off. Because Geum JanDi was my friend's girl, I held back. Until the very end, I gave you a chance. But you've lost that privilege. I won't yield anymore."_

Seeing his best friend kissing his first love's hand while she was sleeping in bed.

His mother's face, severe tight lips and ruthless judging eyes, saying he should grow up and attend to his responsibilities.

"_Are you satisfied now? Now that everything's the way you want, are you satisfied?"_

"_I don't know, merely hearing about the likes of that girl doesn't make me happy."_

"_She's not just '__that kind of girl__'! She's the first girl that I — your son — ever loved."_

Being dragged by her mother security guards.

The sad look in his sister eyes during her arranged marriage ceremony.

Fighting with JaeKyung over a shoe.

"_I got this shoe first."_

"_Are you kidding? I did, and you're not even a girl."_

The announcement of the marriage during his birthday.

"_I introduce you all to my son's new fiancé."_

The day she prepared breakfest to him.

_"You and I are the same, do we ever have anything we want to buy or something we want to do? I hated eating all by myself at a huge table"_

Being embraced by her…and their first official date.

"_I wish every day was a date. Think about it. You came to me first and asked for a date. We haven't fought all day."_

**[Flashback ends]**

Choking on his own breath, JunPyo suddenly opened his eyes; the contrast of the vivid memories with the scarlet red light in the room with the incessant ticking, hit him like a punch, driving out instantly what was left of his patience. On a rampant, he screamed, standing up, grabbing the glass and throwing it directly at the clock, all in a swift motion. The loud noise of shattering glass invaded his ears along with the surprised scream of the maids. He had forgotten that they were waiting orders, standing up behind the sofa in which he was seated.

_The hell with it_.

The clock was silent now, its broken parts among the glass fragments and wet with the vodka he couldn't drink. And yet, the headache was still there, the world was still spinning, the air burned painfully through his lungs, his crazy heart shooting blood to his ears; a turmoil.

The shaking, built, and tall figure of ShinHwa's heir turned his head towards the maids. Fire in his eyes, the fury underneath not only visible, but palpable for the three girls.

"Get out of here." The words that came out of his mouth sounded husky, a low, dangerous tone. The calm before the storm.

Afraid, they gave an involuntary step back. Swallowing dry, one of them gathered the courage to question the order, for they had received orders from President Kang herself, to keep eyes on Master.

"But Master, the President…" her voice was weak and almost inaudible, but in the dead silence of the room, it sounded loud enough.

"I said _get out_!" His rage getting worse by the second, exploding inside, he took a step in their direction, immediately setting them off on a run. They closed the door loudly behind them.

_Good_, he thought, with cruel satisfaction. At least he had control over something: he could be alone for the rest of the time until the wedding. To the hell with everyone else.

With long and fast steps, he reached the door, locking it, finding some relief in punching the strong wood afterwards. So he did it again, and again. The emotions burning inside were overflowing and he would just let it happen. With another frustrated scream, JunPyo allowed the anger overtake him, the last thread of control finally snapping.

* * *

The classic music filled the room, delicate and rich on its creative sense and diversity; the sound clear as crystal, flowing like water on a stream. His movements seemed to follow the song very rhythm, without hurrying to the conclusion, every gesture full of meaning on its own. For JiHoo, making tea was a relaxing ceremony that he enjoyed every second of, being accustomed to use it as a way to calm agitated and unreasonable thoughts and feelings.

In his way of thinking, not living with music was a betrayal to the essential part of human existence that was surrounded by melodies, the part of the soul that needed it in order to survive.

He could, until this day, remember the time when music was his one and only salvation. When it was his company, his comfort, his love. The violin, the guitar, the piano; they were his family. It was the only light in an existence that was surrounded by darkness, sorrow and despair. The only order and constancy in a world that had been turned upside down by a disaster. At that time, he couldn't get to understand what happened to him, to his parents, or why. The rejection his grandfather made him endure was a point of collapse in his memories.

The man he was now felt compassion for the lost and confused boy he was then. Even though, to this date, he still couldn't answer all the boy's questions.

Sometimes, JiHoo wished he could find a way to go to his own path, just be able to comfort his young self, let him fall asleep feeling safe at least once, let him hear that everything was going to be okay. To care for him. He who had no one to save him from the pit he was falling into.

Until Min SeoHyun held out a helping hand.

Right now he felt at ease; the tranquility of the song and the normalcy of doing tea were soothing his anguish, clearing his head. It never failed to do so.

When the tea was ready, JiHoo proceeded to fill a mug with the green water, the humid herb smell reaching his nose, making him taste it only through memory for some seconds. Smiling lightly, he decided he didn't want to sit, and instead he leaned on the counter, letting it support part of his weight, while he took his first taste.

In front of him, from his position in the fourth floor, across the private living room, the large window showed a breathtaking sight. The sun was setting, filling the infinite sky, the sea, the resort walls, and his room with bright colors; red, orange, yellow. They lay upon the world in a careless joyful painting. For a while, the chords that represented so much were nothing more than a simple soundtrack of a much bigger picture in the order of things.

_Everything seems smaller when you look at the wide sky._ He thought, keeping himself from saying it out loud, afraid of disrupting that still moment in time.

He just stood there, the cup of tea warm in his hands, his head light and thoughtless. And there he stayed until the painting became all dark blue and purple, with the stars blinking their rhythm to humanity.

JiHoo sighed, content. Treasuring the moment. Well aware that soon enough it would be over and the whole world would enter his door in a hurry, demanding and ruthless, bringing along the worries and the complications of the human heart and mind. He wanted the peace for just a little longer.

Placing the empty mug on the counter, he stepped toward the window, intending to sit down at the chair close to it and finger his guitar while feeling the fresh breeze and watching the sight. YiJung had asked him to meet up to dinner, but JiHoo simply didn't feel like it, so he wasn't going to show up. His friend would be fine since it was clear he enjoyed GaEul's company. It was funny to watch those tiny awkward conflicts arising between those two. Though sometimes he felt the potter was keeping too much to himself, somewhat afraid of his own emotions. JiHoo couldn't blame him for that.

He reached for the guitar but before he could take a seat, something caught his eyes. Or better, someone. It was dark, but he would never fail to recognize her. Geum JanDi was sitting on a bench, looking at the sea, and she was there, still, for a long time. And just like that, the peaceful moment faded and his world was set in motion once more. Did something happen? Was she crying?

The musician was about to turn away and run to her, when a thought froze him at the spot. It would be so… selfish. In the end he wouldn't be helping her; just relieving his own worries and desires. It would just make it worse for her.

He took a deep breath, looking to stabilize himself.

Her heart was broken, about that he understood plenty. He also understood the conflict of desperately yearn for someone, to be and care for that person, and at the same time needing to be alone to put the mind in order. And he could clearly see what she was trying to do: JanDi wanted to look for strength inside herself, not outside, she was trying hard to make peace with what was happening in her life, to learn to forgive and push pride aside. To let go. There wasn't another way out.

He knew exactly what it felt like and how painful and difficult it was.

But he yearned to see her spark again, to hear her song.

And that's why he utterly respected this moment of hers. That's why he stayed.

The door knock sounded at the same time as he turned his back to the window. He wasn't expecting anyone. Puzzled, he put the guitar aside and walked to the door, opening it. There stood Jung SangRuk, the chief secretary of JunPyo's mother. The man seemed disturbed, even if it wasn't obvious, as it was his character. But he was slightly pale and the look in his eyes set off red flags in JiHoo's mind.

"What's wrong?"

SangRuk kept his composure, but the worry in his voice was clear.

"Please, sir. I'm deeply sorry to disturb you with such matters, but Goo JunPyo is acting out of his sense, it worries me. I thought he might listen to you."

JiHoo should have imagined that something of the sort would happen. It was just so typical of his best friend. A small grin appeared in his lips. It seemed like he was, in truth, the firefighter of not one, but two persons.

* * *

JanDi's eyes looked down at the necklace in her hand without really seeing it. The sunset lights made the silver shine in yellow and red, adding movement to it, like a flame. Yet, it was cold to the touch. It seemed unfair, that something that used to fill her heart with warmth, now made her tears roll down her face.

In the last few months, she often felt cold. Cold inside out, no matter how hot it was outside, it made no difference.

Wherever she went, whatever she did, it always somehow triggered some memory of him and of them together. Something he did, something he said, and something he would do or say. She felt as if the world was a giant trap designed so her heart would ache eternally.

She wanted to go to him, to scream, punch, and kick him. And she wanted him to feel the same pain. She wanted to hug him, and kiss him, and never let go. To ask him to not marry, to be with her. But she wouldn't do it, she couldn't.

A couple of hours ago, JaeKyung was seated beside her on this very bench, crying and opening her heart. And the truth was that JanDi had no idea of what to do with that information. She was so at loss about what she wanted as that star pendant was misplaced in her hand.

_I…I really do like you a lot_, JunPyo's bride – and her friend - voice resonated in her head, echoing. _If someone told me to pick the two most precious people in the world to me, I would say Goo JunPyo and Geum JanDi. Therefore, I'm really sorry, because I made your heart ache, but I'll make up for you somehow. Please forgive me. _

JaeKyung wasn't going to give up on JunPyo, she knew that already. But still shame crawled into her heart, for she had hoped, deep inside, that the woman would say the exact opposite, that she would give up on him, and on her happiness. _For what? To leave him to me? Would her sadness make me happy?_

She truly liked that spoiled woman's friendship. With all her uncalled for comments and hilarious behaviors, JanDi could see she was really trying to be her friend and enjoying every moment. It wasn't false, it never was. Under this line of thought, she closed her eyes, a solitary tear falling from one eye. She should be happy for her friend's marriage, but the tears insisted on falling. It was so stupid.

Maybe the reason why she liked JaeKyung's company and her explosions and attitudes didn't bother her was because… she deeply reminded JanDi of JunPyo himself. They were very alike. Demanding, shouting orders, greedy and not resting until they got what they wanted. They both had that sad, lonely look in their eyes that they thought nobody could see. Maybe their story was the most alike one. She truly believed so.

Breathing deeply, JanDi laid down on the bench, stretching her arms and legs. She had been still for some hours, her whole body felt stiff. With the necklace firm in her hand, rested on her stomach, she looked up at the sky. Without her noticing, the blue sky had given place for a dark one, filled with stars, in a way you couldn't see in the city. She always loved the country sky. Would her family be looking to the same sky now? Would there be enough light so they wouldn't be able to see it? Or would they already be asleep from exhaustion?

She missed them.

Her family sacrificed so much for her relationship with JunPyo. It was truth she never asked them to do so, but they still felt it was the right thing to do. And now she was just going to lie on the bench, and then tomorrow she would congratulate the couple. The one at his side wouldn't be her, as her mother had dreamed. She felt like a failure.

But at the end, it wasn't about them, or about JaeKyung, or even about President Kang. It was about JunPyo. Because, after all, it was he who had accepted the arrangement, even if not willingly. He and JaeKyung were still going to marry. And it was his choice to say those words to her in Macau.

JaeKyung shouldn't have apologized to her, it was not her fault.

It was JanDi's fault. And JunPyo's.

* * *

The bedroom was a mess, and there was a reason behind that fact, but she wasn't going to admit it to anyone. For the time being it was her little secret. They weren't dating, she knew that. Maybe she was just another one of his many plays, enjoying the ride before breaking her heart. Or maybe, just maybe, what she felt was right. That little by little she managed to get closer to his heart, closer than those usual girls, close enough that she mattered to him. In any case, this was all only theoretical. But she was happy now, and would keep these tiny moments close to her heart.

For now, all GaEul needed was to choose what to wear. And it was painfully difficult. Her best dress was selected for the wedding tomorrow, a red one, simple and elegant, that suited her style. But now it was the beginning of the night. They were going to have dinner, so YiJung was going to be there, and she had nothing to wear.

The room was hers and JanDi's, with two beds, one of which was a clutter of clothing and sheets. Like everything ShinHwa was, the place was beautiful, showing class in every single detail, from the looks to the smell. Still, she had nothing to wear.

No, of course she had something. The decision was the part that was killing her. _Where is my best friend when I need her?_ GaEul own thought made her freeze. It suddenly felt frivolous to be so worried about something like clothing when JanDi was about to face the hardest day of her life. It was as simple as wanting to look pretty for the boy she liked, but her friend was about to lose the person she liked forever. After the marriage, there would be no turn back. No happily ever after.

In her mind, there were a lot of important things in life, and of course looks was part of it. But above all, it was friendship, and loyalty. For those things, she could do anything at anytime. Her shoulder slouched slightly, with inner shame. The young girl then picked a plain blue jeans and a yellow lace top from the messed up pile on her bed. These would suit just fine. But she was still worried. Where was her friend? Hopefully no disaster had occurred, as this whole ordeal was bad enough on its own.

Still, JanDi seemed to attract trouble. Her heart felt a little heavy, so forgetting completely about her daydreams and romantic thoughts and worries, she got dressed. Choosing a simple pair of earrings that matched her necklace, she finalized it all with rose essence, a birthday present from her mother.

The first thing GaEul saw once she stepped out of the room was YiJung, ready to knock on the very same door. The unexpected proximity made her face instantly turn a deep red, which seemed to amuse him. A soft smile came to his lips, making her blush even more and instantly look down, just to stop staring. YiJung, like always, didn't suffer from any form of shyness, so he simply looked above her head.

"What happened in there? It's like Armani and Gucci went into war." The simple joke made a shriek of embarrassment emerge from GaEul's throat, and she shut the door down immediately. In attempt to lock it, she nervously dropped the key. When GaEul bent down to pick it up, his hand reached the key at the same time, in a way he ended up holding hers. Laughing inside, YiJung gently helped her to get up again, amused by the variety of red shades her cheeks could get.

Wanting to see where it could go, he lightly put a hand in her hip, with the pretext to help her to regain balance.

"Careful now, GaEul, you alright?" he murmured. She nodded slowly, her gaze still avoiding his, but the red had turned pink, which he thought could be a good sign. It was true he had been with many girls the last few years, and some of them could even pretend to be shy, just for the sake of the game. Fake challenges. This little girl, all dreamy eyes and simple mind, was easy to read and her honesty made her singular and somewhat refreshing. It was way too easy to relax at her side.

Smiling, but yet not letting her go, he nudged her body to the opposite direction, towards the shared elegant living room, where WooBin had asked to meet them.

"JanDi…" her voice was coming back again. It was a relief. His hand was warm on hers, disarming her completely. Her legs felt like jelly, but she, much to her own surprised, was able to walk. Her heart was beating so fast she was afraid he could hear it. She hoped not.

"Oh, I don't know where she is." He didn't felt particularly worried, though. In his mind, for that girl, there was nothing that could happen that would be worst than tomorrow's wedding. What troubled him more was how JunPyo was handling this whole situation. YiJung was just not ready to let this worry show to the girl, of course. Her mind was already too busy with JanDi's delicate emotional state, he was sure.

Spending his whole life with F4 taught him how utterly important friendship was, and he appreciated nothing more than true loyalty, an article he grew up understanding to be a rare thing. And GaEul was an extraordinary fit in that rare group. He hoped she knew that.

"WooBin said he was going to take a look around, but she's probably not lost or anything." That made her gaze up at him, with a subtle smile in her lips. "JiHoo said something about being busy, though."

"It's just that… I'm worried about her."

"Here we are. Now we wait." He said playfully, when they entered the room. There were two sofas, on pastel colors and rich wood details, and two matching armchairs, with a dark wood center table in the middle of the arrangement. Behind one of the sofas was a wide window from where you could see the lights of the resort, blinking against the dark sky, sprinkled with stars. Behind the other sofa was a counter, occupied by a variety of drinking options.

YiJung looked down at her, noticing her gaze was trapped in the view. It was beautiful to see indeed, but not that much. He guessed that, once you get used to those marvelous places, they begin to appear more plain than impressive. For her, everything was new, everything was wonderful, and he liked to watch that. He liked to see her eyes and face brightening while looking at the stars. How the lights danced in her hair. How her lips would open in admiration, with a shy smile insinuating at the corners. The sudden urge to kiss her took him on surprise, making him release her hand.

Oh, boy, he was doomed.

* * *

Note: Hello people! So I decided to do this fic 'cause I will not be satisfied until JiHoo and JanDi end up together XDD

But now, really. This is for fun and my first try with this thematic, I hope you guys like it. I sure did enjoy writing it. Comment so I can know what you guys think =D

Cheers


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